Join author Connie Mann for a peek into the inspiration behind The Crown Conspiracy, her new romantic suspense and adventure story, the first of the Speranza Team novels.
I have always loved tales of adventure, especially those involving treasure hunts and secret societies. I’ve been reading them for years and years. Add in a castle or two, and I’m hooked. But a few years ago, I realized that too often, women were mainly supporting cast. They weren’t the main characters, the ones saving the day and changing the world.
So I started dreaming and imagining. What if there was a team of strong, flawed, compassionate, determined women who make a difference in this world, especially by helping other women? What if they were part of a centuries-old, women-only secret society whose symbol and name meant hope?
Even better, what if that secret society was still active in the world today? Starting a story with missing royal portraits and the disappearance of the head of a local NGO seemed like the perfect way to draw my fictional Speranza Team out of the shadows and into an exciting adventure.
Of course, the team immediately crosses swords with a courageous heroine who is flat-out determined to find her missing best friend – all by herself, thank you very much.
I can’t wait for you to meet the team and get to know Sophie Williams, the fiercely protective, uber-talented, yet often insecure heroine of The Crown Conspiracy. Sophie can recreate a painting with such skill nobody can tell the difference, and she’ll move heaven and earth to find her best friend, yet she also wrestles with her parents’ deaths. Why would a good God allow that? Especially since they’d devoted their lives to doing good and righting wrongs.
During my story research, I came across the phrase, “I believe in God even when He is silent” and it grabbed me by the heart. In my own life, I’ve had to wrestle down those silences, too. But after the internal battle, I know and believe, deep down, that He is always there. That knowing has become the bedrock foundation of my hope, my anchor, and I gave Sophie the chance to wrestle with that silence during the story, as well.
I went looking for the origin and author of the phrase and discovered it is part of a longer poem, with different variations. It’s also been turned into a choral arrangement. Most believe it was written during WW2, but where and by whom isn’t clear, with attributions ranging from the wall of a concentration camp, to a tunnel in Cologne, to a Warsaw ghetto, to a basement wall of Cologne Cathedral by a child hiding from the Nazis. I’ve fictionalized that last theory for the purposes of this story.
Of course, a good adventure story also has a great hero, and I think you’ll fall a little bit in love with Mac, a high-priced art investigator hired to find the portraits – and track down the elusive Robin Hood art thief.
While the story is fictional, I believe the Speranza team exists in spirit. Throughout history, women have banded together around common causes and used their gifts and talents to help other women and make a difference in this world. These informal groups have always been about hope, shining light in the darkness.
From the canals of Venice to a castle high in the Alps, I hope you enjoy every page of this heart-pounding, fast-paced adventure. I hope you will also see yourself in Sophie and the Speranza team and be encouraged to step out and look for ways to help others, to fight for good, and to spread hope wherever you go.
